Hobby horse



NW; 13, 1956 w. F. WHITTLE HOBBY HORSE Filed Nov. 10, 1953 INVEZVTOR. 60,. F; Um

United States Patent Ofiice 2,770,290 Patented Nov. 13, 1956 HOBBY HORSE William F. Whittle, Benton, Ark. Application November 10, 1953, Serial No. 391,236 4 Claims. (Cl. 155-50) This invention relates to amusement and exercising devices and more particularly to a hobby horse designed to simulate the rocking and pitching movement of a live horse.

Hobby horses or rocking horses of the type in use heretofore have customarily been provided with a seat which is capable of a simple motion, or a variety of motions. A footrest has sometimes been provided on either a stationary portion of the horse or attached directly to the seat. In the first mentioned type, the rider pushes against the footrest in order to cause movement of the seat portion on which he rests. In the second mentioned type, the rider shifts his weight to produce motion.

In the device of the present invention, a seat is provided which is movable with respect to fixed supports and a footrest is linked thereto in such a way that movement of the footrest causes movement of the seat, so that the rider may simulate various motions by combining movement of the seat and the footrest.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hobby horse having a seat that is movable from front to rear or side to side through a wide range of motion and which has a movable footrest connected thereto and adapted to produce movement of the seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hobby horse having a seat portion and a foot platform therebeneath connected to the seat portion and pivotally supported whereby the foot platform may be used to produce movement of the seat portion and at the same time will tend to maintain the seat portion from lateral tipping.

A further object is to provide a suspended n'ding platform and a foot platform therebeneath and connected thereto by means of which movement of the riding platform may be produced.

A further object is to provide a device for simulating riding in which the upper portion of the riders body and his feet may move separately and independently of each other.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a hobby horse constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2, a side elevation to a reduced scale; and

Fig. 3, a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Briefly stated, the embodiment illustrated includes a stationary base having posts extending upwardly from the four corners thereof. Substantially intermediate the upper ends of the four posts and in the plane thereof a platform is supported by means of a spring extending from each post to an adjacent portion of the platform. A seat and a replica of a horses head are preferably mounted on the platform for the added enjoyment of the child. A footrest which may preferably be in the form of a flat sheet is pivotally connected at its rear extremity to the rear portion of the base and has a rod movably connected at one end to the forward central portion of the foot platform, and at its other end to the underside of the rear end of the seat platform.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the hobby horse includes a substantially rectangular base having side rails 11 connected in a suitable manner to front and rear end rails 12 and 13. Extending upwardly from the corners of the base are pairs of forward posts 14 and rearward posts 15, the posts 14 preferably being inclined slightly forwardly and the rear posts 15 slightly rearwardly.

Positioned substantially intermediate the upper ends of the posts and substantially in the plane thereof is a platform 16 on which a seat 17 having a backrest 18 is mounted. At the forward end of the platform is a replica of a horses head 19 through which a handle 20 extends. In order to assist the child in staying in the seat and to more nearly simulate a western saddle, a post 21 simulating a saddle horn is mounted on the forward portion of the seat 17. The platform. 16 is carried by spring members 22 connected at one end by hook eyes 23 to the upper ends of the posts and at the other end to hook eyes 24 on adjacent portions of the platform 16.

A footrest 25 is provided beneath the platform 16, that in the illustrated embodiment being a fiat sheet member, although other types may obviously be employed. The rear edge of the footrest 25 is connected by hinges 26 to the rail 13, the hinge permitting the footrest to pivot with respect to the rail from a lowermost position in which the rear edge is approximately level with the top of rail 13, and, the front position resting on rail 12 to an uppermost position with its forward end as high as the rider may succeed in producing motion.

A rod 27 is pivotally attached at one end to bracket 28 at the forward end and centrally of the footrest 25 and at its other end to a hook eye 28 beneath the rear central portion of the platform 17. While a rod is illustrated, obviously other connecting means may be employed to produce relative motion between the platform 16 and footrest 25.

In the operation of the device, the rider sits astride the platform 16 in the seat 17 and normally facing the head 19. With his feet resting on the footrest 25, at any portion thereof to suit the size and desire of the individual, the rider may produce motion in various ways. Pressing down on the footrest will depress the rear of the seat platform as illustrated in phantom in Fig. 2 to produce backward tipping of the seat and forward swinging motion. Quick application of force in this manner causes the horse to buck. If preferred, the rider may merely rest his feet on the platform without forcibly depressing the same in which case the seat platform will not be tipped backwardly. By a combination of movements of the upper portions of his body and his feet on the footrest, various motions may be produced.

Although the suspended mounting of the seat platform permits sidewise or endwise tipping so that a variety of movements are possible, depression of the footrest 25 causes endwise tipping rather than sidewise, and the accompanying spring reaction tends to stabilize the platform 16 against sidewise tipping.

Accordingly, the present invention includes a base on which a seat platform is suspended by spaced spring means and having a movable platform therebeneath and connected thereto for producing additional movement of the seat platform.

It will be apparent therefore that the invention is not limited to the specifically described embodiment but that various modifications thereof and substitutions for specifically described parts are within the scope of the art and that therefore the invention is only limited as described in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hobby horse comprising a support member having a substantially rectangular base and spaced posts. extending upwardly from each corner of the base, a seat positioned intermediate the posts, springs extending from said posts and attached to said seat, a footrest beneath the seat, said footrest comprising an elongated platform member pivotally connected at its rear extremity to said support member, and seat actuating means connected at one end to the forward portion of the footrest and at its other end to the rearward portion of the seat,

2. A hobby horse comprising a support including at least three upwardly extending posts, a platform providing a seat positioned between said posts, resilient elements extending between said posts: and said platform and lying substantially in the same plane as the seat for resiliently and movably supporting said platform, a second platform pivotally mounted on. said support below the seat and having a portion movable relatively to said seat, said second platform serving as a limb-engaging means of a person supported on said seat, and interconnecting means between said second platform and said seat for causing movement of said seat when said second platform is actuated.

3. A hobby horse comprising a base having a side rail and front and rear end rails, a post extending upwardly from each corner of the base, the front posts being inclined forwardly, the rear post being inclined rearwardly, a platform positioned substantially in the plane of the upper ends of the posts, a spring extending from each post and attached to an adjacent portion of the platform, said springs tending to support said platform in a substantially horizontal position, a seat and a handle on the platform, and a footrest beneath the platform, said footrest comprising an elongated platform member pivotally connected at its rear extremity to an end rail, and a rod pivotally connected at one end to the forward portion of the footrest and at the other end to the rearward portion of the first mentioned platform.

4. A hobby horse comprising a base having a side rail and front and rear end rails, a post extending upwardly from each corner of the base, a platform positioned substantially in the plane of the supper ends of the posts, a spring extending from each post and attached to an adjacent portion of the platform, said springs tending to support said platform in a substantially horizontal position,

seat and a handle on the platform, and a footrest beneath the platform, said footrest comprising an elongated platform member, and means pivotally connected at one end to the forward portion of the footrest and at the other end to the rearward portion of the first mentioned platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,647 Wiggers July 28, 1874 265,266 Lang Oct. 3, 1882 1,730,557 Brackett Oct. 8, 1929 2,437,015 Baltz Mar. 2, 1948 2,478,091 Dwyer Aug. 2, 1949 2,544,106 Ray Mar. 6, 1951 2,554,045 Minor May 22, 1951 2,624,579 Savella et al Jan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 416,515 Great Britain 1934 AULL, 

